Love me for me
by MsMxAnna
Summary: AU Finchel. Rachel is being forced into an arranged marriage. She has moved out of her apartment and into the place where she will be living with her future husband. She isn't to meet her fiancé until the day of the wedding. To pass time, she goes into the new town and ends up befriending a man named Finn. They spend a lot of time together, and one day she realizes she loves him.
1. Business deal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**A/N1: All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!**

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**Love me for me**  
Chapter one: Business deal

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[Lima, Ohio - May 4th 2019]

Okay, Rachel was pissed off. Bad.

She threw her bag on her small green cloth couch together with herself and spread her arms and legs wide all over the couch. She clutched her small hands into fists and she could feel a lonely tear slide down her cheek.

The petite, brunette 25-year-old couldn't understand her dads, her loving and caring fathers in that moment. She couldn't understand how they could marry her off to some rich guy who she didn't know a piss about, not even his name or how he looked. Just because her fathers wanted money, she became their business deal. She never knew they were so desperate when it came to money, she had always thought that she was the most important thing in the world to them. Clearly she wasn't, and because of that she had to move from her hometown Lima in Ohio, to New York City. It wasn't really that bad that she got to go to New York, no, she had always wanted to go there and pursue her dreams.

Her whole life she'd always wanted to go to New York and become a big Broadway star. She knew she had the talent for it, and she knew at the age of one that she was going to get there, one way or another. But this was wasn't the way she expected, nor wanted.

She lifted her hand and quickly wiped the angry tear away. She knew she had to pack all her stuff, because she's going to New York the next morning, but she just couldn't. She would miss her tiny apartment in Ohio, mostly because she knew that she would hate her new apartment her fathers had told her she was going to live in. It would probably be one of those apartments that screams 'I've got cash to burn!', and that made her even more angry. She didn't want to be one of those rich people who just gets what they want, no, she want to earn what she gets.

But she did get up from the couch and began to pack in a big, pink suitcase she got from her dads before she left their house in the morning, after receiving the horrible news. She all her clothes and stuffed her toilet bag into the suitcase.

She ate a pack of vegan ice cream, like she always did when she was sad, before she tucked herself in bed. Her thoughts flew wide and she thought of that in two months she won't be alone anymore. She wondered to herself if they had to sleep in the same bed, just because they were married. She quickly decided no. Maybe at some point she would, but it would take long. Her dads said that she would learn to love her future husband, but that wasn't what she wanted. She wanted real love, someone you would jump in front of a bullet for without thinking.

And now, she would probably never have that.

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[Lima, Ohio - May 5th 2019]

It seemed like she did drift off to sleep for a while, because she woke up from the sound of her cell phone. She opened her eyes that were misty from sleep and lifted a hand to reach her cell phone that lay on the nightstand in its charger. She ripped up the pink iPhone without even caring if the charger broke, she would be able to buy a new one when she becomes Mrs. Money Bags.

She groaned loudly when the light from the phone hit her eyes. She swiped her finger across the screen to answer and moved the electronic device to her ear. "I don't want to talk to you," she growled into the phone and closed her eyes again. She heard how her dad, Hiram, cleared his throat.

"Why hello to you too, Rachel," he said, his voice oozing with fake happiness. Rachel felt like she wanted to hit them for even daring calling her when they'd just done something as bad as forcing her into an arranged marriage. But she kept silent. "How are you doing?"

Rachel gnashed teeth. What kind of stupid question was that? "How to do think I'm doing?" she spit into the phone, sitting up in her bed, her white sheets tangled around her petite body.

She could hear Hiram wince a little from her sharp voice. Rachel felt something smile inside of her. She had at least gotten them to get that she is not cool with this. "I'm sorry Sweetie, I -"

"Don't you dare calling me sweetie," she hissed, fury rising inside of her, ready to boil over any second. She placed her bare foot onto the hard wooden floor and got up from bed. She could hear her dad sigh quietly into the phone.

"Okay, I'm sorry _Rachel_, I know that you don't want to do this but think of everything that comes with it," he said, and she could hear the excitement in his voice. Rachel wanted to throw something. How come she never realized that her fathers were so selfish? Maybe because they had spoiled her so much that it's almost gross, she never saw the true them. That to them, it was all about money. Rachel wanted to throw up right on the floor.

Rachel squeezed her phone so hard she was sure of that it was going to break. "I don't want anything that comes with the damn marriage. I want to marry someone _I _love, not you. I want a normal marriage, where I can say 'I love you' to my husband without lying right in his and everybody else's faces." She could feel the angry tears that were piling up in her eyes. She heard how Hiram began to object but Rachel continued like she didn't hear him. "Did you marry daddy because of his money?"

"Eh... No, of course not, but that's not -"

The tears she'd been trying to keep back flooded over. 'No, of course not' was what he had said, like it's something every normal person did. And it _is _something every normal person did. "No, of course you didn't, but I think you two fit perfectly together. You are both selfish, soulless bastards who only cares about yourself. I'm really proud of being your only daughter, who is soon going to get married to a complete stranger. It's really admirable how you're trading my happiness for yours. Now if you excuse me I'm just about to pack the rest of my stuff before I head off to New York. Goodbye Hiram, I hope you're happy."

She ended the call before Hiram could say anything to her. She sighed as she dried her tears off her reddened face with the back of her hand. She looked at her phone, the clock saying 8:30. Her train to New York was leaving in about two hours so she had time to get ready and make it to the train station in time.

She packed the rest of her things in her suitcase before she closed it. She looked around her, her apartment feeling empty without all the pictures and other decorations she had placed all around. She sat down on her bed, that felt oddly cold without the sheets. She felt like she was on the verge of tears again, and she let her head leap into her hands.

She had no idea what to do. But she knew that it wouldn't help by sitting here feeling sorry about herself. No, she would face this as the strong independent woman she was. And nothing would stand in the way of Rachel Berry, ever.

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[Manhattan, New York City - May 5th 2019]

When she got out from the train station a couple of incredible slow hours later she drew a deep breath of relief, forgetting for one second why she was really here for. She just let the air of New York, the city of her dreams, swipe her off her feet. All the yellow taxis, all of the sounds from people and cars and everything else mashing together to a murmuring sound and all of the big signs everywhere. The streets were busy with people who walked under the turned on streetlights and Rachel couldn't help but smile a little. She was finally here. In New York, where she belong.

But her thoughts were interrupted when she saw a long black limo pull up right in front of her in the dim light of the streetlights. She stared at it as a middle-aged man stepped out of the car. He was wearing a black suit that was in contrast to his short blonde hair, that was almost fully covered with a black cap.

Was this her driver? Rachel knew that someone was going to pick her up, her fathers had told her so before she left their house the day before yesterday. But she never thought that she would be picked up by a guy in a suit she believed was her driver, in a limo. Rachel would never had thought that she would sit in a limo until she'd won at least her first Tony.

She moved her gaze from the long black car and looked at the man who was standing next to it. He stepped forward and grabbed the handle of the car door that led to the back seat. "Miss Berry," was all her driver said, and she could hear the traces of a British accent in his voice. He made a small gesture with his hand for her to step inside the car. Rachel nodded a little and mumbled a small 'thank you' before walked forward and climbed into the fancy car, with her suitcase still in the firm grip of her hand.

She saw that her driver reached out for it. "Please, let me take your luggage miss Berry."

Rachel awkwardly gave him the handle of her suitcase. "Thank you very much, sir," she said to him as he walked around the car to put her bag in the trunk.

She closed the car door and rested her head against the headrest. She breathed out a quiet sigh and closed her eyes to rest them a bit. So was this how it was going to be for the rest of her life (or at least for the next 10 years or so)? That someone would drive her in a fancy freaking limousine everywhere she wanted to go? She didn't know if she wanted that. Sure, she had always wanted to ride in a limousine, but not this way. She wanted it to be a thing she does like when she is going to the Tony's award or some other thing like that. She didn't want it to be an everyday thing. She wanted to hail a cab like every other New Yorker did. Taxi's a part of the New York life, and she wanted to live like a true New Yorker. Probably she would never even have that now.

Rachel groaned as she opened her eyes, noticing that the car had begun to move. She looked around her for the first time since she entered the car. The seats were made of the whitest leather, and real leather for that matter. She stroke the surface of the seat next to her and gasped a little at the smoothness. She looked up from the seats and her brown eyebrows shot in the air. There was a freaking bar in the car. It was packed with all kinds of booze, but she couldn't quite say what in the dim light. There was also a disco ball in the roof that was turning, creating a soft light in all kinds of different colors.

Rachel saw how they passed all the people and buildings that she could only see in a blur. The darkness of the night didn't make it easier for her to see the city Manhattan, where she now lived. She bent forward towards the seat where her driver sat and she bit her lip nervously.

"Eh, excuse me sir -," she said hesitantly. She could hear a light 'yes' from the drivers seat and she knew she had gotten his attention. "but where are we heading?"

She heard him clear his throat a little. "Please Miss Berry, don't call me sir. Rather call me Thomas. And we are heading to where you shall be living."

It pulled a little in the corners of her mouth. "Okay, well Thomas, where shall I be living?"

It took a while for him to answer, like he didn't really know what to answer. But he did answer. "I'm not allowed to give that kind of information to you. I am just your driver, also butler."

The small smile fell quickly from her lips and she leaned back against the seat, trying her best not to groan. Of course she was going to have a butler, because she's now a filthy rich person. Yippee.

She felt how she was slowly drafted off to sleep there in the backseat. The slight waddling car together with the soft blur outside was slowly lulling her to sleep. Her eyelids felt heavy, like she couldn't hold them up anymore. So she stopped fighting and closed them, and fell into a blissful sleep.

* * *

"Miss Berry, we're here."

Rachel felt how a gentle hand shook her out of her sleep. She blinked a couple of times, her sight blurry after her short nap. But she soon saw the smiling face that belonged to Thomas, and he held out a helping hand. Rachel's lips curled into a small, tired smile and she took her driver/butler's hand and she stood up on wobbly legs. As soon as she stood steady she looked up at her now home. And what she saw was unbelievable.

Her father's had told her that she was going to live in an apartment, not far from Manhattan. Sure, this place was not far from Manhattan, but it was sure not an apartment. The place could practically be taken as a small mansion. The big house that was ten, probably more, times bigger than her apartment in Lima. The color of the house was bright white and the darker color on the roof made it look very neat. The house looked like it had endless gardens and lawns stretching out behind it, and the gardens were perfectly taken care of, even in the darkness the night brought, and the small pink and yellow flowers had begun to sprinkle up from the earth.

The only thing Rachel felt like she could do was stare. This house really screamed 'I've got cash to burn!'.

Rachel sighed as she saw Thomas walking up the gravel path that was made of white stones and led up to the stairs that led to the front door. She yawned a little as she began walking the stone path just like Thomas had. The sound of the stones mashing under her feet made her want to cover her tired and sensitive ears with her hands, and she could barely keep her eyes open. It had certainly been a rough day.

When she stepped into the house she couldn't help but gasp and widen her eyes a little. She had walked straight into the grand foyer and it was really a treat to her eyes. The room was softly lighted with a yellow glow that spread throughout the whole room. She could see two stairs, one on each side of her, that led up to the same balcony one floor up. All of the windows were hugged by soft, light pink silk curtains that fluttered softly as the wind that came from the outside through the door hit them.

It was a nice view, and Rachel smiled. It was a really nice view.

"How about I guide you to your room, Miss Berry?"

She jumped a bit at the sound of Thomas' voice, and she quickly turned around. She smoothed out her skirt and her hair and nodded. "Sure, thank you."

Thomas guided her up one of the stairs and through a corridor. There was rooms everywhere in this house and Rachel started to wonder what the hell she was going to put in all these rooms, and how she was going to get through living here all by herself for two months, since she's not allowed to meet her fiancé until the day of the wedding.

Thomas finally stopped when they reached a room in the back of the corridor, and opened the door that led into it. The room was quite ordinary, Rachel thought, if you compare it to the grand foyer for example. The walls were painted in a soft yellow color that reminded her of sunlight. The bed was broad and big and all Rachel wanted right now was throwing herself in that bed and sleep for hours, just escaping all the drama that her life brought to her. There was also a desk in the room that was nicely decorated with pencils and papers and flowers.

She turned around to Thomas, who stood in the entrance, his hands linked together behind his back, making him look professional. "Can you just please excuse me, Thomas? I'd really like to go to bed now," she asked him. He nodded and shot her a quick smile before he closed the door to her room. She saw her suitcase that stood by the corner of her bed. She picked it up and placed it on her bed with a low thud. She opened it and picked out her night-grown and toilet bag, before she closed it again and put it down on the floor. She would take care of that tomorrow, right now she just wanted to go to bed and sleep.

She entered the bathroom and the first thing she noticed was the jacuzzi that stood bright and white in the corner of the big room. Rachel just looked at it. Why wasn't she surprised that she now was the not so proud owner of a jacuzzi? But even though she really didn't want it, the temptation to just fill it with steaming hot water and just relax for hours was there inside her and it was almost as if it was overwhelming. But she shook the feeling off. No her one priority right now is going to sleep. The jacuzzi would be there tomorrow too, right?

She quickly brushed her teeth and cleaned her them with dental floss to get the rest of the food she got from the train out from between her pearly whites. Then she stripped off her red pencil skirt and her black blouse and jumped into her light pink night-grown. She picked up her purple brush that had the words 'I'm a star' engraved in the plastic material. She dragged the brush through her dark brown hair a couple of times until most of the tangles were gone.

She looked into the large, gold framed mirror, chocolate eyes meeting chocolate. She sighed, and her reflection mimicked her action. In two months she would be Mrs. Something-else-than-Berry, and Rachel had to admit that she actually was a little scared. She's gonna marry a stranger and there's nothing she could do to stop it.

Rachel exited the bathroom and leaped into the long longed bed. She rested her head against the fluffy pillow, trying to sleep. But she couldn't. Instead, tears began to stream down her face. She didn't know what to do anymore. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted to go home.

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**A/N2: Okay, first chapter done! Tell me what you think of it, if I shall continue or not. I'd love support, it always makes it easier for me to write. So please do what you guys do best; review, favorite and follow. It'll make me so happy!**

**Until next time everybody!**


	2. Meeting with a stranger

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**A/N1: Hey all! This chapter took longer for me to write than I thought, and I'm sorry for that. Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who reviewed, alerted, favorited, or only read the previous chapter! It makes me so happy that someone's reading!**

**I got a comment that said that she's read something that reminded of my story. The answer to that is that I actually don't know if someone else has written this. This was a prompt from Finchel-prompts. Sorry if I forgot to mention that in the first chapter.**

**Also there was a comment that said that Rachel doesn't really have to be a part of this marriage because she's 25 and can decide for herself. My simple answer to that is that this is a story and anything can happen! Also I really didn't want Rachel to be like 17 or something like that, 'cause that would have been weird.  
**

**I hope I didn't sound rude or anything, and if I did, I'm sorry. Again, thank you for reading!**

**All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!**

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**Love me for me**  
Chapter two: Meeting with a stranger

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[Manhattan, New York City - May 8th 2019]

"Seriously Thomas, I'm bored," Rachel exclaimed from where she was lying on her belly on the unbelievably clean floor. She had currently been reading the only book she took with her when she moved out of Lima, a Barbra Streisand biography, to pass time, and it had worked well as a time-killer for a day or two, but when reading it over and over again until she could recite the whole book in her sleep because there's nothing else to do in the damn house, it's boring.

She groaned loudly and closed the book with a loud thud and sat up, holding her book. She looked down on the floor where she had been lying barely five seconds ago, and she was sure she could see how her torso had molded the floor.

Thomas entered the big living room, in his suit with not a wrinkle in sight as usual, holding a cup of steaming hot coffee in his hands. Rachel's lips curled into a smile and she lay down the biography in her lap. She reached for the cup and took it when Thomas gave it to her. "How did you know?" she asked, sipping on the dark brown liquid that was floating around in her cup. She hummed happily as the taste of coffee spread in her mouth. She didn't really know when her favorite beverage became coffee, but all of a sudden she couldn't go through a day without at least two cups.

"Would you like something else, miss Berry?" Thomas asked politely, looking down at the tiny woman with his dark blue eyes. Rachel shook her head as she took another gulp of her coffee.

"No, but thanks for the coffee," she said, standing up on her bare feet, careful not to spill out her coffee. She ruffled a hand through her brown hair and took another sip from the cup. She looked over her shoulder, out through the window that stretched from the floor to the floor above and saw the silhouette of New York, not so far away.

"Is it fine with you if I drive into the city for a while?" she asked suddenly. She wanted to do something, so why not strolling around on the streets of the Big Apple for an hour or two. Maybe she could even rent a movie or something to take home, so she could have something else to do than reading about Barbra, even though she loved her.

Thomas nodded, his hands tied behind his back like always. "Yes, of course, Miss Berry. Would you like me to drive you?"

She wiggled her cup a little, considering his offer. Being driven in the black limousine would of course be wonderful, with the clean white seats and the bar, but she wouldn't travel long, the city was only twenty minutes away. And the limo would be an extreme attention-drawer and Rachel didn't really feel like being in the spotlight for the first time in her life. So she shook her head.

"No thank you, Thomas. I rather go there by myself, if that's okay?" she said, and Thomas nodded immediately. "Actually, does this house have any car I can borrow?"

Thomas smiled at her. "Yes, it does. And you don't have to ask me about permission to use it, it's yours."

Thomas handed Rachel a car key and what she thought was a key to the garage, and in exchange Rachel gave him her still half full coffee mug and her book. "Thank you very much," she said and laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, careful not to wrinkle his suit. Thomas bowed his head respectfully towards her. "No problem at all, miss Berry."

She let her hand drop from his shoulder before she walked past him towards the grand foyer. But right before she exited the living room, she heard Thomas' voice call. "Miss Berry, I did just remember. You have a wedding dress trial with fashion designer Kurt Hummel this afternoon at three. Please wait here a second so I can write down the address for you."

Rachel sighed as Thomas started scribbling down the address on a piece of yellow paper. Right, her wedding. The exact date of the wedding had been set yesterday, Saturday July 16th, and Rachel just wanted to disappear from the surface of earth. She wasn't ready for marriage. At least not a marriage where she didn't know the groom. She took the paper from Thomas when he was done and after throwing a quick look at it she stuffed it in her jean pocket. She said one last thank you and goodbye before she turned around.

She walked into the big grand foyer and glanced around the room. She was still awestruck by the fantastic work they must had put into building it, because it looked amazing. Everything seemed to glister in the bright sunlight that shone through the clean windows and it felt like she was standing in one of those rooms she'd only seen in Disney movies when she was little.

When she'd put on her only pair of shoes, a pair of short, light green wedges, she grabbed her coat and purse and exited her big white house through the broad double doors. When she was standing on the doorstep she drew a deep breath of the clear air. The fragrances of grass and flowers mixed together with a distant smell of the busy city New York swirled around her. She could sense the summer come crawling, and she was really happy about that. Summer had always been her favorite season. Birds singing, blue skies, and boiling hot days where she can just lie outside and let the sun tan her skin. It's wonderful.

She walked around the house to a smaller building she believed was the garage. She picked up the garage door key she'd gotten from Thomas from the left pocket of her jacket. She pressed the button with an arrow that pointed upwards, assuming it would be the one that made the garage door to go up. And fortunately it did, and she lifted one perfect eyebrow of surprise when she saw the car.

It was definitely the fanciest car she'd ever seen, and probably the most expensive too. It was a black car, a Porsche she believed. She'd never really been that interested in cars, but her daddy was kind of. When she was little he sometimes got her small replica toys of different cars for her to play with when he was out on a business trip or something like that. It was really nothing, since she threw them away at the age of eight when she thought that they were too 'boyish'. But some of the car brands got themselves stuck in the back of her brain somewhere and they never really left.

Rachel stroke her fingers against the black paint, grazing from the yellow, red and black colored mark to the shiny black handle. She opened the car door and the corners of her mouth turned upwards. She could now see the inside of the car, that had been hidden behind dark toned windows. The seats were made of white leather, just like in the limousine. Even though there wasn't any bar in it, it was just as fancy with its all new, modern things. She couldn't really decide if she was incredibly disgusted by the fact that her 'fiancé' had the money, that would soon be her money too, to pursue a car like this, or just happy that she's the owner of it.

The smell of new car was flying around her, where she sat in the drivers seat. She threw her purse on the passenger seat beside her and fished up her car key from her pocket.

She started the engine, and let it run for a couple of seconds before she lightly pressed her foot against the gas pedal and drove out of the garage. She stopped right when she was fully out of the small building so she could close the garage door with the remote.

The 20 minutes it took for her to drive to the city was peaceful, nothing to complain about. Maybe the selection of music was a little thin since she didn't really enjoy any of the radio stations but she survived.

She parked in a parking house, not far from Central Park. When she was out on the streets of New York for the second time in her life she felt whole. New York was her real home, and it had always been, she just knew it.

The walk to the nearest shop that was renting out movies wasn't long. She quickly rented her favorite movie of all times, Funny Girl, before she practically ran out of the shop, totally creeped out by the guy behind the counter who looked like he was dressing her off with his cat green eyes.

She picked up her phone from her purse to check what time it was. Even though she was all against the marriage she didn't want to be late for her dress trial. She sighed out a breath she didn't even know she was holding when she saw that her phone only said 1:13 and that she had plenty of time to grab a coffee on the way. She felt like she was really in need of one.

She ended up at Starbucks, not far from where she would meet up with the designer Kurt Hummel. The coffee shop was misty and low voices turned into a buzz that came from all directions. She walked towards the line of people that had formed in front of the counter, waiting for their coffee.

Rachel placed herself in the line, and picked up her phone and wallet from her purse and decided to check her e-mail and messages while she was waiting. She'd gotten like four messages from her dads and an e-mail from the owners of the apartment she used to rent in Lima. She was just about to open it and read when she heard a loud, quite bitchy 'hello?' from behind the counter. Rachel looked up from her phone, and her cheeks turned red when she noticed that she was first in line, and even more people were filling up behind her. The girl behind the counter was staring at Rachel with her arms crossed over her rather impressive chest. The girl was a beautiful Latina with black shiny hair tied back into a neat ponytail. She wore a cream colored blouse with a matching skirt that showed off her nice, tanned legs. The name-tag on her shirt was saying 'Santana' with big bold letters, so her name was probably Santana.

Santana had a bored expression on her pretty face and her dark brown eyes were boring themselves into hers. Rachel almost felt the urge to take a step backwards but instead she tried to shake the feeling off and order, no matter how much the girl scared her.

Rachel cleared her throat before she began speaking. "Eh, a vegan Vanilla Frappuccino, please."

Rachel smiled a little when she said those words. Usually she doesn't give in to treats like these ones and only orders regular black coffee, but she thought that once or twice when she was in the kind of situation when she gets married to someone she didn't know, she kind of thought that she deserved it.

Santana started to mix her coffee together, and Rachel didn't really feel like she could do anything else than look down on the floor.

"What's with you, Midget? You look like someone just hit you in the face."

Rachel looked up from where the feminine voice had come from and it was Santana whom had spoken to her. Rachel frowned a little when she realized that she'd called her midget. Sure, she's not tall but not so short she deserved being called midget.

"Excuse me?" Rachel asked the Latina behind the counter. Santana answered with a low humming sound as she continued with Rachel's coffee. "I don't like being called Midget, thank you very much. And I haven't been slapped in the face, just so you know."

Santana finished making her coffee and placed it on the counter in front of her. The hot beverage splattered around in its protection made of plastic. "Here's your coffee, Midget," she said before she looked over Rachel's shoulder at the customer behind her. "Next!"

Rachel snorted and payed her before she picked up her mug. How could someone be so rude to her when they'd only just met?

She was just about to take a sip of her coffee when she saw a note on her mug, the text written with a black marker pen. '_Call me! 917-562-256. Santana xoxo' _Rachel rolled her eyes when she read the note, bringing the warm mug to her mouth. Calling someone names and then giving out her number is a weird way of getting a date. But, maybe the people in New York are different from the people in Lima?

Rachel opened the door so she could have her coffee outside in the nice May weather, but she walked right into something broad and hard. The next thing that happened was that she stumbled backwards and her coffee mug flew out of her hand and landed right on the stranger before her. The lid flew off and she heard how the stranger hissed a quiet 'shit' as the hot drink touched his skin. When Rachel gained back balance she looked up at the strange man.

He was tall, and his shoulders and chest were broad and muscular. He couldn't be much older than her, and his face was very handsome, with its boyish features. His eyes were soft and whiskey colored and they glimmered in the light from the lamps in the ceiling. His hair was hazel brown and it was nicely styled into a fin that His face was splattered with freckles and birthmarks and he was looking down at his coffee-stained blue T-shirt and dark jeans.

Rachel's hand flew up to her mouth. She stared at him, both because he was really good looking and because she'd just drowned him in a low-fat vegan coffee. "I'm so sorry!" she squeaked, finally coming back to life. The tall stranger looked down at her as she began to desperately, without much success, wipe the coffee off his clothes with the sleeves of her red coat. To her surprise he chuckled, and Rachel stopped moving her arm, realizing what she was doing. She was standing in a coffee shop, trying to clean a strangers shirt with her sleeves. She slowly stood up straight and looked down on the floor, her cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry," she mumbled again.

He grazed his fingers against his wet shirt, but he curled his lips into a loop-sided smile. "Hey, it's nothing. This shirt needed to be washed anyways," he said awkwardly. She laughed quietly together with him, but guilt was spreading through her body like a like wildfire.

"Yeah, but I still feel like I have to make it up to you in some way," she said, cocking her head upwards so she could see his face. His lips were still formed as a smile and she could now see that he had the cutest dimples she'd ever seen.

He shook his head, their eyes looking into each others. Rachel almost felt like she fell into some trance, looking into his eyes. "Please, let be buy you a coffee or something. I feel really bad about ruining your shirt," she said.

He looked like he thought for a moment before he answered. "Well, a white chocolate mocha does sound good." he said and Rachel's face lit up. She told him not to go anywhere before turned around and sprinted towards the now shorter line of people. When she looked into the eyes of the bitchy Latina who gave Rachel her number, she quickly rabbled up what the guy had wanted and another vegan Vanilla Frappuccino to herself.

"Wow Midget, I have to admit that I'm impressed. You succeeded to drown a Frappuccino all by yourself in less than five minutes, and it seems like you got high on it, since you're totally overexcited." Santana said as she handed Rachel the man's coffee. Rachel shifted her body weight from her left foot to her right, looking over her shoulder every tenth second to check that the man was still there.

The sound of the paper mug hitting the counter brought Rachel back to Santana. Rachel payed Santana for the second time today and took the mug in her other hand. Just when she was about to turn away and give the man his coffee she remembered. "Hey, Santana I suppose. It seems like someone dropped his coffee by the door. Can you be a darling and clean it up before someone gets hurt?" Rachel fluttered with her long, black eyelashes and Santana's gaze darkened.

"You're not my boss! You can't tell me what to do."

Rachel smirked. "The customer is always right, right?" She winked at the staring Latina before she turned around and walked towards the man. She handed him his coffee, her cheeks gaining back the rosy color it had had before her brief meeting with Santana. She heard how he mumbled a 'thank you' against his cup and Rachel answered quickly with a 'you're welcome'. It was quite awkward just standing there, so Rachel took control of the situation like she did with everything.

"Want to sit somewhere?" she asked, and he looked down on her where she stood small. He nodded and smiled once again. Rachel was starting to believe that the only thing he could do with his mouth was smile and talk. And maybe kiss, if she was lucky enough to experience that. His lips looked really soft. "Yeah, that would be awesome. My legs are starting to hurt a little from standing and walking all day."

They sat down at a round table, rather close to the door. She took another sip of her coffee before she spoke up. "So, what's the name of the man I just bought a coffee too. And a rather expensive coffee may I add," she asked, aware of that bragging about money would probably not make so many new friends, especially when it's not really her money yet. He chuckled, and looked down on his coffee mug.

"Finn," he said, holding out a hand for her to take. "Finn Hudson."

Rachel took his hand, and his big one swallowed hers. She lightly shook it and smiled at him. "Rachel Berry," she said before she dropped his hand. In some weird way she instantly missed the warmth of his fingers surrounding hers. So she embraced her coffee mug with her right hand, letting it warm her hand instead. They sat quiet for a minute or two, neither of the two knowing what to say.

"So, how was your coffee, Finn?" Rachel finally said. He placed his mug on the table before he answered her.

"It was great, thank you very much for it. I know this kind of coffee is a sugar-bomb but I kind of need the kick," he said, and not until now Rachel noticed how tired he looked. Rachel crooked her brow in confusion.

"Why?" she wondered, and she couldn't help but feel a little sympathy for the stranger across from the table. He sighed deeply.

"Well, ever since my dad died a couple of months ago, I had to take over his company. The work is really great and stuff, but it is just so much. I have to be everywhere all the time and it's just hard right now. But, I guess I'll get used to it like everything else, right?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes, of course. I'm sorry about your dad, by the way. It must be kind of hard for you." She felt a sudden urge to reach over the round table and touch his shoulder in support, and she just couldn't shake the feeling off.

"Both yes and no. Sure I miss him, but lets just say that he wasn't the kindest man on earth. Sometimes he just did stupid stuff and he let someone else take the fall. He died of cardiac arrest, and my mom took it very hard. But she's okay now. He was never really good to her either, but she stayed with him with the belief that he still loved her and still was the man she knew."

Rachel stared at him as he stopped talking. Instead he gulped down some coffee. "What about you? Are you okay?" she breathed. He shrugged, almost like he didn't care. "I don't know. He was a douche bag and I didn't really spend much time with him, except when I got older and he got me to work for him. But he was my dad. So-"

He stopped talking, looking down on his hands that were firmly entwined with each other on the table. Rachel saw that his face didn't look sad, it looked confused. She understood him. His father dies and right after that he's ripped into a work he wasn't prepared for.

"So, who are Rachel Berry, then?" he suddenly asked, just to change the subject. Rachel plastered on a smile on her face and she tried to forget what Finn had just told her. She started talking about her own life and a couple of minutes later all worries and were gone. They talked like they had known each other for years. It was nice and Rachel felt like she never wanted to leave the place. But all things have to come to an end and Rachel suddenly got a text from Thomas, interrupting her long monologue about how Barbra Streisand changed the world. He'd actually looked genuinely interested which surprised her a little, so she groaned quietly when she picked up her phone. But when she opened the text her eyes widened.

_"You haven't forgotten about your dress-trial with Mr Hummel, right Miss Berry?" _the text said and Rachel quickly stood up. She looked at the clock on her phone and her eyes got even bigger. She had ten minutes to pick up her stuff and leave. She abruptly stood up from her chair, making Finn's eyebrows pop in the air. "Where are you going?" he asked.

Rachel picked up her purse and tightened her grip around her phone. "I...I have promised my cousin to go shopping today. I have to leave now, because she doesn't like when people are late. I'm really sorry," she babbled, thanking god for her acting skills.

Finn seemed to buy it, because he nodded and lifted a hand towards her. "It's okay, Rach. But can I please give you my number? I would really like to meet you again."

Rachel's heart skipped a beat when he called her Rach. No one, not even her dads, had ever given her a nickname. Well, except Santana, but Midget didn't count. "Yeah, sure," she said, handing him her phone. He quickly punched in his number and gave it back to her.

"Done. Have fun with your cousin."

She smiled a little, glad that he didn't know that her cousin actually lived in Wisconsin. "Yes, I will. Bye! And I'm really sorry about your shirt again."

He waved at her as he chuckled. "The shirt is no problem. I hope I'll see you soon."

As she exited the coffee shop she was feeling hot inside of her coat. He wanted to see her again. A handsome, sexy and really nice man wanted to spend more time with her. She'd never really been a boy-magnet and it felt really good that someone like Finn noticed her. Maybe spilling coffee on him wasn't so bad after all.

* * *

**A/N2: Author's note at the top this time! **


	3. Kissing in the rain

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.**

**All mistakes are mine! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Love me for me**  
Chapter three: Kissing in the rain

* * *

[Manhattan, New York City - May 8th 2019]

Rachel entered the wedding dress store on the minute. When she tumbled through the door she saw a man around her own age fixing up a mannequin's brown hair up into a beautiful, advanced bun with white roses adorning it.

Rachel bit her underlip, not wanting to disturb the small man who looked like he was really concentrating on fixing the doll. Rachel cleared her throat quietly, before she started mumbling a, "Eh, hello? I'm Rachel Berry and I'm here to..." she cleared her throat again, the words sticking in her throat like thick glue. "...To try out a wedding dress for my wedding."

The man turned his face towards her, and he smiled. "Yes, of course." He placed the reminding roses that were left from styling the mannequin's hair on a small black side-table and walked up to her. He lifted his hand for her to shake and he held his arm very outstretched and straight, like a stick. Rachel took his hand, and she was quite amazed by how incredible soft his hand was.

"Well, hello Miss Berry. It's a pleasure to meet you," he said in a high pitched voice. "I'm Kurt Hummel."

Rachel wanted to laugh at how brisk and quick he seemed to be. He had a cute, baby-like face and a slender body. His hair was brown, and it looked hard and stiff from hairspray. He was wearing a white shirt with sleeves ending at his elbows and a gray, very advanced looking vest over it. His pants were black with a small silver chain hanging from his left pocket.

"Yes, and like I said I'm Rachel Berry. It's nice to meet you, too," Rachel said, even though she wasn't really sure if she was. If she wouldn't be getting married, she would've never met him. But she was getting married, so why not just become friends with him?

She felt how his hand dropped from hers and saw how it was replaced on his chin. He looked deep in thought as he eyed her from head to toe with his Glasz colored eyes, like he wondered what he would do with her. Rachel felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and she couldn't help but squirm a little where she stood.

A couple of moments later, she could hear a soft mumble leave Kurt's mouth. "Hmm, Let me guess. You're around 5'2, maybe 5'3," he suddenly said, his hand dropping from his chin. "Am I right?"

Rachel, who had stopped moving, looked at him with wide eyes as she nodded. "Yes. How did you know that?" she asked. Kurt laughed a little, his voice sounding sounding like a bell.

"Let's just say it's a gift. Shall we start looking for a dress for you, Miss Berry? I think I know the perfect one."

* * *

"How many perfect ones are they in this damn shop, Kurt? My feet are starting to hurt."

Rachel had just wiggled out from another bright white wedding dress. She threw it in Kurt's arms and he gracefully caught it without making any more marks on the fine fabric. He glared at Rachel where she stood in just her underwear with her arms crossed over her chest. Sure, it had been awkward when she was standing half naked in front of Kurt when she rejected the first ten dresses he made her try, but soon she just didn't care anymore. She could sense from far that Kurt was gay, just like her fathers. She had something she liked to call 'Gaydar' and it's like a radar she can 'sense' who's gay with. She didn't know if she would call it a gift, but it sure became helpful in situations like the one she was standing in now.

"Be careful with the dresses, Rachel!" Kurt exclaimed as he tried to smoothen out the creases she'd made on the fabric. "I worked really hard on this one."

Rachel sighed and ran her fingers through her brown, thick hair. "I'm sorry, Kurt, it's just that I'm really tired after trying on dresses non-stop for hours. Can't we just call it a day and I'll call you tonight?"

Kurt nodded in agreement. "Yeah, sure. But you have to promise that you'll call me later, because your wedding isn't that far away."

Rachel had started to put on her own clothes again and she sighed when Kurt spoke about her wedding. "I know."

* * *

[Manhattan, New York City - May 11th 2019]

The following two days had gone by in a blur. Rachel had been to Kurt's shop several times to try on dresses, but none of them were really _her. _Either they were too tight or they were too much of the fluffy-princess-kind she just wanted to rip off. And she hadn't heard anything from Finn, which probably wasn't that weird since the number-exchange only had gone one way. She knew she should call him, or at least text him but she just didn't dare to. What if he was mad at her for spilling coffee on his shirt, even if it didn't seem like it when they met two days ago. _  
_

She groaned where she laid in her queen-sized bed after another long day at the dress shop. She glanced at her phone that was charging on the side-table, the darkness making it harder to see. She grabbed her pink, bedazzled phone, and pushed the round-square-whatever usual iPhone button. When the bright light from the phone hit her sensitive eyes, they squinted together painfully as they tried to adjust themselves to the brightness.

When she could see properly, she unlocked her phone and opened a new, blank text message. She stared at the small screen as the next problem towered over her like a mountain. What was she going to write? _Hey, how are you doing? _No, probably not.

After ten minutes of staring at the still blank text message, she slowly started to write down words, her nails clicking against the hard plastic screen.

**Hey, it's Rachel, you know the girl who spilled coffee on your shirt the other day? Want to talk? :)  
**

Okay, that was probably the worst text she'd ever written. She read it over and over again, like she was trying to convince herself that it was either too bad or good enough to send. She stared at the small 'send' button, struggling with herself until the screen eventually faded into black. She unlocked her phone again and bit her underlip as she moved her finger closer and closer to the send button.

She closed her eyes as she pressed down the button, and she flinched a little when she heard the short sound that told her that her message had been sent. She clutched her phone in her hands and let her head sink deep into the soft pillow.

When 15 minutes had gone by without an answer from him, she couldn't help but feel a little beat down. She didn't really know why though. She didn't know him very well, almost not at all, and yet it felt like her heart dropped down her chest. Tears were gathering in the back of her eyes, pushing forward quickly. She shook her head and closed her eyes as she put her phone back on the side-table beside her. All she had to do was to forget about the handsome stranger and get a good night sleep so she could pretend to be the eager bride-to-be that Kurt thought she was.

When she successfully almost had fallen asleep without spilling any tears, she heard her phone beep beside her, telling her that she had received a text message. It took a minute for her to really understand what was going on, since her her thoughts were messy from the relaxing half-sleep she'd been in a few moments ago. But as soon her mind was clear from confusion, her eyes widened and she sat up straight in bed, her whole body bouncing. She gripped her phone and unlocked it, not caring about that her eyes were burning from the light again.

Rachel didn't mean to squeal when she saw Finn's name in her message inbox, but she did, loudly, and she covered her mouth with her hand in worry that she'd woken Thomas up. She listened after noises that sounded like footsteps but when no sound was made after half a minute she loosened the grip around her mouth and opened Finn's message. She smiled as she read the short line of text on her phone.

**Hey! Sorry I didn't answer until now, I was in the shower and didn't hear my phone. And yes, I'd like to talk. :) **

As she read his message again, she wondered why he was taking a shower at 12:30 in the middle of the night. She decided to just shrug it off and she quickly wrote a reply, her inability to write long gone. **  
**

**Okay, how are you, Finn?  
**

She was staring at the screen, anxiously waiting for his reply. She couldn't help but to feel a little silly, like she was that little high school girl again. She felt the light buzz in her hand and the screen lighted up a moment later.

**I'm good. There's not very much going on right now. What about you?**

**Great, thank you. I'm lying in my bed, trying to get some sleep since I have dress trials tomorrow, and I have to be at the shop at eight AM.****  
**

It wasn't before she sent the message she realized how utterly stupid it was to write that. She groaned and prayed that he wouldn't catch up on it. She gnawed lightly on her underlip as she waited for his reply. When her phone beeped she opened his message and sighed a little when she saw what it said.

**Dress trials? Isn't that what you do when you're getting married, or am I totally wrong?**

Rachel's mind went a thousand miles per hour, trying to make up an excuse for her mistake. Her jaw was tightly clenched as her fingers moved across the screen of her phone, hoping that he would buy it.

**It's for my cousin's wedding. I am the maid of honor and she really wants me to come with her on her dress trials and such, so...**

His reply came mere seconds after she had sent hers, and her heart beat hard.

**Ah, right. Is it the same cousin that you went out shopping with the other day? **

**Yes. I'm sorry but I really have to go to bed. Good night!  
**

She actually felt a little sad when she put her phone away, but she hadn't been lying. Well, sort of not anyways. She actually had dress trials tomorrow at eight, but it wasn't her cousin's of course.

When her head hit the pillow and sleep quickly approached, she could hear the beep from her phone again. She couldn't help but smile as she turned back to the side-table and opened his new message.

**Before you go, can I at least ask you out on a date? We can meet at the Starbucks we first met at five o'clock tomorrow, if that's fine for you?**

Her smile grew wider as she read his message again. She quickly typed a reply, and sent it away. It had only been one word, but she felt that it was filled with so much more.

**Sure.**

* * *

[Manhattan, New York City - May 12th 2019]

"I think that this is the one Kurt," Rachel breathed as she stepped out of the small fitting room. Kurt nodded as he gasped. "I think so too, Rachel. You look amazing!"

Rachel laughed a little as she spun around in the dress, the fabric flying around her long legs. The dress was bright white (which wedding dress isn't?), and it ended just above where her feet meet her calves.

For a second she forgot why she really was there. The only thing that mattered was that she'd found her dress after all these days.

* * *

As she strolled down the busy streets of New York she felt happiness cling in her whole body. The sound of her high-heeled stiletto shoes clinking against the hard asphalt sidewalk was blending together with the mumbling sound of all the other people she was passing.

As she was getting closer to the coffee shop she couldn't help but feel the trace of nervousness roll around in the pit of her stomach, like a small stone.

She felt the warmth of a big hand on her shoulder just as she was about to open the door to the shop. She didn't really know why, but she shivered a little under the touch. She turned around, even though she already knew who it was. Chocolate eyes met hazel again and she could feel how her whole body got hot, even though it was colder than 50 degrees outside and she was standing barelegged with only her thin green dress and her red coat to cover her upper body.

He had his half smirk plastered on his handsome face and Rachel felt how her jaw dropped a little. He was wearing a suit, with a white button-up shirt underneath. In his hand there was a red rose that he handed to her.

"Hey Rachel, nice seeing you again," she could hear him say, and she shook her body a little so she would get out of the trance. "Yeah, it's nice seeing you, too," she said as he gave her the rose and dropped his hand from her shoulder. Her whole body immediately turned colder when they weren't touching, and she missed the warmth. She could smell the nice fragrance of the flower and the corners of her mouth turn upwards.

He opened the door to the coffee shop and made a gentle gesture with his hand for her to walk inside. "After you, my lady."

Rachel smiled brightly at him as she stepped inside. The coffee shop wasn't as crowded as it had been the day she'd met him, but it sure was many people in there.

Finn guided them to the exact same table they sat at just days ago, and they sat down across from each other. Finn called for the waitress and she quickly came up to their table to take their orders. And one thing Rachel noticed was that Finn's eyes never left her.

When both Rachel and Finn had ordered, Finn smiled at her and she couldn't help but blush under the invisible touch of his eyes. "I was a little scared that you wouldn't call me," he began after a minute of a rather comfortable silence. Rachel shook her head a little and looked down at the table as she fiddled with a small strand of her hair that had fallen out of the bun she'd put up her hair in. "Of course I would call you Finn, I have just been so busy lately and I just couldn't find the time."

She looked up into his eyes again as their coffees arrived. She brought the hot mug up to her glossy lips and took a long sip as she looked at him under her long eyelashes. "So, how's your job working for you? Is it any better?" Rachel asked suddenly, mostly because she wanted to talk to him. He shrugged as he cradled his own mug in his hands.

"I manage," he said and looked up at her. "It's still a pain in the ass and I don't have much time over to do anything else, but I manage."

She nodded and took another sip of her coffee. A silence fell over the two people and none of them knew what to say. It had been much easier to talk that day they met. Rachel tried to think of something good to say, but it stood still inside of her head.

"So, is your shirt fine? I didn't ruin it didn't I?"

He laughed and Rachel's whole body tingled at the sound of it. He shook his head as he continued to chuckle lightly under his breath. "No, you didn't ruin it. It was just coffee and I just cleaned it. No biggie."

"Okay, thanks," she said as she blushed and drank up the last drops of coffee in her mug. She placed the empty cup on the table and waited for Finn to drink up the last of his coffee. "Wow Rachel, you really drink coffee fast," Finn said and she could hear in his voice that he was slightly impressed. Rachel just shrugged and smirked. "Yeah, I know. I am a skilled coffee drinker."

After that, the night went on well. After they left Starbucks he took her to a decent restaurant that to her delight served vegan food. They talked and had a wonderful evening, just as she had wanted.

When they had left the restaurant, they walked down the streets of New York with their hands linked together. The moon was shining down on them through thick clouds and Rachel could feel a small raindrop hit her face. Soon they were soaked, but they didn't care. Rachel was turned towards Finn, who was looking down on her with his hazel eyes. He pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and Rachel smiled.

"You're so beautiful, you know that right?" he said quietly, like he's afraid that someone else would hear. Rachel looked down on the ground and shook her head and breathed out a small 'no'. She looked up at him again and his eyes were warm. "But you are, Rachel. You really are."

Her heart rate increased and her breathing was a bit uneven. "You know you can kiss me if you want to," she blurted out, and she wanted to cover her mouth with her hand for saying such a stupid thing. But Finn's eyes remained soft and he leaned in, his lips almost touching her ear.

"I want to."

He lifted his head and leaned in again, but only this time it was towards her mouth and not her ear. As their wet lips touch Rachel felt like she was going to explode inside, like a fire started glowing inside of her that nothing could put out. She wrapped her arms around his neck as their tongues battled for dominance in a beautiful dance.

Their kiss ended when both of them was in need of oxygen and Rachel snaked her arms around him to hug him tightly. "So that is what it feels like to kiss in the rain," she giggled as she leaned in for another kiss.

* * *

**A/N2: Hey you guys! Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I have struggled with both writer's block and school and I just couldn't find the time to write. But here's chapter three and I hope you liked it.  
**

**Thank you to you all who reviewed, favorited and followed! It makes me really happy to see that people like what I write. So keep up the good work!  
**

**Please review and I'll see you soon!  
**


	4. The visit

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee or any of its characters.  
**

**Hey everyone! I'm sorry it has taken me so long to update (again!). My muse disappeared for awhile and I just had to wait for it to come back. But suffer no more I hope, because it came back. And I'm giving you a brand new chapter of Love Me For Me!**

** And for those who may think that this isn't how it really would be in the modern times America, just remember, this is all fictional, so your imagination is making the rules! :)  
**

**All mistakes are mine! This chapter is unedited, just so you know. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Love me for me**  
Chapter four: The Visit

* * *

[Manhattan, New York City - May 13th 2019]

For once, Rachel actually felt sort of happy. Ever since the bomb her dads dropped on her (that she barely knew anything about, for that matter,) all she'd felt had been sadness and maybe even a small drop of hate.

That was why she'd decided to ignore their phone calls and text messages this past week and two days. The less she got to see or hear from them, the better. That was why the day they showed up on the doorstep of her house she felt like she just wanted to run away.

When Rachel woke up at 7:35 the day after her date with Finn, she felt frisky. Her whole body tingled from their heated kisses and she could still feel that her skin burned from where he had touched her the night before. She wanted to laugh and jump and have fun. It was the first time since she had gotten to New York that she felt that she was happy and that she belonged.

She got up from her bed and walked into the attached bathroom. She opened her toilet-bag and picked up her purple brush. She guided it through her hair that was still damp from yesterdays rain until all of the tangles were gone. When her hair was soft with no tangles she stripped off her nightgown and jumped into the shower. The hot water streamed down her body, and it relaxed some of her tense muscles. She hadn't realized how uptight she had been for the last two weeks, and it was really a relive when that she had begun to relax.

When her body was clean she stepped out of the shower, and quickly enveloped herself in a white towel. She grabbed another one and put her wet hair up into a turban.

Rachel opened a drawer under the sink that was nicely filled with all of her panties and bras (yes, she kept them there since she would most likely avoid awkward moments with Thomas). She pulled out a pair of white cotton panties and a matching bra and put them on. She grabbed the edge of the towel around her head and wiped the water off her face, that was still lightly rosy from the hot water.

During the whole process of making herself look presentable, she smiled. It felt nice. She began to dry her hair with the towel around her head, and that was when she head the sharp sound of the door bell cling through the house. Rachel pulled up the towel so her body was covered again. She didn't really know why she went to open the door (especially since she was only wearing a towel,) maybe it was a habit of hers, or maybe she was just hoping it was Finn. She would bet her money on the second option, even though she never told him where she lived.

Of course it hadn't been Finn. When she opened the door she saw her dads standing on her doorstep, looking as polite as always. She couldn't help but breathe out a small groan. Of course they had to come and totally ruin her so long perfect day (even though she had only been awake for like an hour and a half or so, but that wasn't the case).

Her eyebrows dipped down into a frown as she crossed her arms over her chest, careful not to drop her towel. She knew that she looked like a very angry six-year-old diva but she didn't really care. "What are you doing here? she said, and you could almost see the venom pouring out of every pore on her body.

Hiram cleared his throat, of course since he had always been the one of the men to speak. His eyes wandered over the place, looking everywhere but at her. "Well, we're here to make sure that everything with the wedding is going in the right direction," he began slowly, rubbing small circles on his neck with his index and fore finger.

"And we also wanted to see how you are doing Rachel," Leroy chirped in from behind his husband.

Rachel's eyes had turned black, and if gazes could kill they would only be two small piles of ash before her. "Yeah right, continue to tell me all that bullshit. Of course you wanted to see how I was doing, because you are such great parents," she said in a dull tone.

"Rachel, we a-"

"You know you didn't even tell my why I had to do this. I only did this for you, because I knew that we would hit the ground real bad if I didn't." She walked up to Hiram and poked a finger into his chest, hard, like she wanted to make her point even more clear. "So now you tell me every single detail about how you two sunk down in the shit so badly that I was the one who had to pull you up and save you."

Her dads nodded weakly and she could see the slight chock glistering in their eyes for a second. She made a small gesture with her hand for them to come inside and they slipped in through the broad door. "You can go sit in the living room. I just have to get dressed."

She saw how the two men nodded lightly before she turned around and walked up the stairs. Her eyes watered a little from the angry tears wanting to bleed over. She couldn't understand how they thought they could just show up like that and think that everything was okay. And she was not going let them leave that living room until they had given her a proper explanation on how they ended up in the situation of marrying their only daughter away.

She dressed slowly just so she could think things through and chase the tears away from her eyes. Her good mood that had been lying like a soft glitter around her that morning was long gone. They even got to ruin that.

When she was fully dressed in a pair of jean shorts with a pink flower pattern adorning the pockets and a light pink tank-top, she sighed. She ran her hands through her wet hair, feeling a slight headache press against her forehead. She wasn't sure if she really was ready to face them and the truth, but she knew she had to.

Rachel's steps were heavy as she walked down the stairs again, taking as long as possible to come down. She could see her dad's turquoise sweater from where she stood. A deep breath filled her lungs as she took the final steps out to the living room. Her lips were pursed as she sat down in one of the armchairs that stood on the other side of the coffee table that was between them.

Hiram cleared his throat loudly and clapped his hands together. Rachel knew that he wanted her to start the conversation, but she wasn't saying a word until they had spilled the whole story.

Just when Hiram was about to open his mouth and say something, Thomas came in with coffee and sandwiches (vegan of course,). He placed the things on the table in front of them before he bowed lightly in Rachel's direction and walked back out in the kitchen. Rachel took one of the sandwiches and bit a small piece off. She stared at the men in front of her and she tried to pry Hiram's mouth open with her mind. And it actually seemed to work.

"Look Rachel, we never wanted this either," he began slowly, picking up his cup of coffee and took a light sip. "We were desperate and there's nothing we can do about it any longer. You see, our company wasn't going very good, and we needed money real bad. Another company was also losing numbers, so we decided to put you and the guy who runs the other company's son together, mostly to show the publicity that we are capable of working together. Also because of the money. And we couldn't just make it seem like you were dating, because that wouldn't have as good effect. Of course the son wasn't very happy with his old man either, but he knew that the company was all that they had to survive, since his mother don't have any job. So the guy signed the contract and now you're getting married. The end."

Rachel stared at them, not really capable of saying anything. Are they really using her for publicity? Sometimes she just didn't get how they were thinking. "How come I get to live in such a fancy house and such if none of you is this rich?" pushes asked, throwing her hands in the air. Her fathers sighed.

"Because it isn't going bad for them, only the company. But if they don't get back on their feet with the company, they could loose everything," Hiram said and Rachel felt how her blood was boiling in her veins. She couldn't believe them.

"Out," she said in a low, grumbly voice that even scared her a little. She couldn't look at them, and the only thing she wanted was to be alone. Well, maybe her new-found friend (maybe more that that even,) Finn, too because being lonely could be boring sometimes. She heard how Leroy squeaked a small "what?" and Rachel looked up at them with a lit fire in her eyes. "Please, just get out of my house."

Her fathers instantly rose from the couch and began moving towards the front door. Their eyes were wet with tears, just like hers was and before they opened the door and left they said to her,

"Remember Rachel that were really sorry and we never meant to hurt you. But it's for the best for all of us. Think about it Rachel. Maybe it's not as bad as you think. Goodbye. We will be back soon with the wedding plans."

And with those words they were out the door, gone. Her knees felt like over-cooked spaghetti and she wanted to cry her eyes out. But she also wanted to talk to someone. Not really talk about it, but just hang with someone.

Not Thomas obviously, because there would probably not be so much 'hanging' there. She knew who she wanted.

She ran up the stairs and into her room, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and quickly opened a new text message. Her fingers moved like the wind and when she pressed send she felt a jolt of happiness shoot through her like electricity. She read her message again as she waited for his reply.

**Hey Finn, what do you say about going to the movies? Xo Rach***

She smiled when his reply hit her inbox.

**Of course! Meet me at our coffee shop at five, and this time I'll buy you a coffee.**

* * *

A/N2: Super short, not good at all, and as unrealistic as it can get, but this is a filler. I know it was not worth the wait, but I hope you enjoyed it anyways!


End file.
